


These Dreams (...or Six F-ing Years)

by indiepjones46



Series: First Time Fix-Its [8]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, But with a lot of emotion too, Danny believes in equal opportunity, Danny looks hot in glasses, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Sex, Episode Tag, First Time, HEA, Hot Sex, M/M, Naked Danny, Oral Sex, POV Danny Williams, Porny porn porn, Requited Love, Season 6 Episode 9, Secrets Revealed, Slash, Steve breaks bad at HPD, Unrequited Love, Wet Dream, anal sex...kinda, i love porn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-15 19:01:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8068999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indiepjones46/pseuds/indiepjones46
Summary: Echoes of Danny's time spent undercover as Professor Jeffries have been haunting his dreams lately. Unfortunately, so has Steve. It's too bad that Steve wasn't aware of Danny's dirty little secret, but all of that changes after one disastrous Saturday morning.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: don't own or profit
> 
> Beta: No one. I just finished this and had to throw it out there. Be kind. I'll try to clean it up on the read-through.
> 
> Notes: Okay, so I'm just going to be honest here and admit that this story doesn't have much to do with the plot of that episode. I just really, really wanted to write some beautiful gay smut and I kinda crow-barred the details in there to make it fit. I struggled with this story at first, not quite sure where it was going to go. But somewhere along the way, the story ran away with me and straight into gut-wrenching emotion. I'm not gonna lie. I cried a little bit while I was writing some of this. Don't say I didn't warn you. I think you'll like it, though.

_“You know what, Danny?” Steve McGarrett addressed his partner. “I have to say that I was really digging the whole professor look. Maybe you should wear glasses more often.”_

_Danny rolled his eyes, but couldn’t hold back the grin that crept up his face. “Yeah, and maybe you should have your head examined. I’ve been telling you this for years.”_

_They were standing in Steve’s office at the Palace after the conclusion of Danny’s undercover op where he had filled the role of Professor Jeffries while teaching a college economics class. Sure, Danny had bitched about the assignment, but he had honestly enjoyed the time he spent in the classroom. Economics and business principles made sense to him. There was logic, precision, clearly defined rules, and predictable trends. Rarely did he find any of that while on the job as a detective with the Five-0 task force._

_Steve unfolded himself from behind his desk and stood to his full height before strolling around to stand in front of his partner. A calculating gleam was sparkling in his eyes as he reached down to retrieve the glasses that were laying on his desk. With deliberate care, he unfolded the earpieces and held them up to the light before huffing his breath on the glass. Danny continued to watch him through suspicious eyes as the former SEAL buffed the lenses gently on the hem of his tee shirt until he was satisfied that they were clear._

_“Have you developed vision problems in your old age, or what, babe?” Danny asked mildly as Steve held the glasses up one more time to the light._

_Steve’s lips didn’t even quirk up at the edges in a smile as he held them out to Danny by the earpiece. “Not at all. In fact, I’m seeing things clearly for the first time in years.”_

_Danny just stared down at the glasses in confusion. “What? You want me to put them back on? Hell, no. The case is done, over, kaput. Professor Jeffries has left the building.”_

_“Put the glasses on, Danny,” Steve told him, his voice serious yet quiet._

_Danny could feel himself getting red in the face and he took a step backward. “No. Why would I do that? I have perfect vision. Even with regular lenses in those things, they gave me headaches.”_

_Steve’s hazel eyes narrowed and his voice was full of command when he replied, “Because I told you to, Danny. Put. The glasses. On.”_

_Danny’s stomach swooped as he hesitantly reached out to take the glasses. Steve almost never used that tone of voice with him. He may bark orders during a case, but he never treated his partner like a subordinate._

_“Okay, if it’s so important you,” Danny conceded testily. He slid the frames over his ears and settled the glasses in place on his nose. “There. Glasses on. You happy now?”_

_Steve’s chest rumbled with affirmation. “Not yet. But I’m getting ready to be.”_

_Before Danny could puzzle his meaning, Steve paced toward the shorter man with purpose. Instinctively, Danny backed away as the 6 foot animal stalked him across his office until Danny’s back hit the wall. “What are you doing, Steven? Have you lost your mind?”_

_Steve grabbed Danny’s flailing hands and pinned them above his head on the wall. Danny pulled and tugged against the hold, but Steve’s big, capable hands were like iron shackles. Steve leaned down until their faces were aligned and only separated by breaths, and said, “Yeah, Danny. I’ve lost my mind. And it’s all your fault.”_

_Steve’s lips crashed into his own with a fierce, possessive kiss. Danny didn’t even know if he could call it a kiss. It was rough, hard, and full of teeth and tongue. It was as Steve was fucking his mouth with his own as he plunged deep inside the recesses of the detective’s mouth to conquer and claim all the territory within. His teeth worried at Danny’s bottom lip, his tongue thrust and swept along Danny’s teeth, and a steady, rhythmic echo of Steve’s hips against Danny’s revealed his intentions._

_When the taller man ripped his lips away to chase after more of Danny’s skin by nipping and sucking at the skin of neck, Danny took the opportunity to catch his breath and try to stop his reeling head long enough to figure out what was happening. Steve gave him no opportunity. Gathering the shorter man’s hands in the firm grip of his left hand, Steve moved his right hand directly down to Danny’s pants to tear open the button and zipper. It was almost as if he were wearing pants made out of wet paper towels the way they parted and disappeared in seconds._

_Steve’s hand was like a hot brand as he gripped Danny’s hard cock in his fist and moved up and down roughly. In Danny’s ear, Steve hissed, “You’ve been teasing me and leading me on for years, Danny. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice? Do you honestly expect me to keep turning a blind eye to the way you practically beg me to fuck you? You’re finally getting your wish.”_

_Danny’s eyes closed in terrified lust as his partner continued to ravage his neck with sucking, biting kisses while his hand jacked up and down on Danny’s length. The detective couldn’t hold back the pathetic whimpers that escaped his throat as Steve roughly turned him around and ordered, “Bend over.”_

_Danny opened his eyes and found himself in Steve’s bedroom. He was naked except for the damned glasses, and he could see his partner standing behind him in the reflection of the mirror on top of his dresser. Steve was gloriously, mouth-wateringly naked, too, and his cock was huge and throbbing._

_When Danny didn’t immediately comply, Steve placed a palm on the shorter man’s back and pushed him down on the bed. “Jesus, Steven!” Danny exclaimed, his voice a strange mix of panic and desire. “What the hell?”_

_The SEAL ran his fingers up and down the crack of Danny’s ass until he zeroed in on the puckered opening there and roughly pushed two fingers deep inside him. Danny sucked in a breath and braced for the pain, but there was nothing but a pleasant fullness and the faint stirrings of an impending orgasm on the horizon. “Shut up, Danny. All you do is talk, talk, talk. Maybe this will shut you up.”_

_Steve removed his fingers from his ass and Danny sucked in a startled breath at the feel of Steve’s cock taking their place by pressing at his entrance. Danny cried out in shock and surprise when Steve’s length slid inside him effortlessly until he bottomed out inside the detective’s ass. Danny spared a moment to marvel at the pain-free entrance before he groaned at the feel of his ass being spread wide by his partner’s huge cock. Steve didn’t hesitate as he pulled back and thrust deeply back in with the slap of his hips ringing against the cushion of the shorter man’s ass._

_Danny could feel his own shaft swelling and pulsing as his partner hammered into him over and over again. Steve’s fingers found purchase in the hollows of Danny’s hipbones and he used the leverage to pound Danny’s ass harder and harder as he growled and cursed._

_“You feel so fucking good, Danny, just like I knew you would. I’m going to fuck you until you can’t walk right for a week. Then, I’ll fuck your mouth until you can’t talk for a week. That’s what I should have been doing all these years. I should have just fucked you until you were too weak to bitch and moan and yell,” the muscled brunette said through gritted teeth as he continued to thrust with his hips._

_Danny was on fire and the flames were licking along his skin with every word out of the man’s mouth and with every deep, punishing slap of his hips. Desperately, he closed his fist around his own cock and began to stroke as Steve continued his dirty litany while fucking him harder, deeper, stronger._

_“Fuck!” Danny yelled out. “You’re going to make me come, Steve.” Danny voice was wrecked and pleading as his fist moved faster with every sweep over his leaking crown._

_Steve plunged deep and held his position for a timeless second to say, “You better come fast, Danny, and you better scream my name when you do.”_

_Steve’s hips resumed their work, his cock driving inside Danny impossibly faster, until the only sounds that reached the detective’s ears was the panting of his own breath, the heartbeat thundering in his ears, and the clap of their bodies colliding. Danny could feel his climax barreling down on him, and he was almost frightened by the force of it welling up inside him until a hoarse yell was ripped from his throat._

_His body detonated with the impact of his release, and Steve’s name was ripped from his throat as if the man had reached inside him and yanked it out. His body seized and jerked as his cock spurted his come all over the bedspread while Steve continued to pound him mercilessly until he thrust deep and spilled himself inside the shorter man’s ass with a curse. Danny was gasping for breath, dazed and sated, when Steve pulled out of his ass and ran his finger through the trail of his seed dripping from Danny’s opening._

_“Next time, I’m taking your mouth,” the commander stated. “Do you want some coffee?”_

_Danny blinked as he tried to follow the whiplash-inducing change of topic. “What? Why would you ask me about coffee at a time like this?”_

_Steve shrugged and sniffed the air. “Because I’ve got some brewing. Want some coffee?”_


	2. Chapter 2

Danny came up out of the dream by sitting up in the bed with the aroma of freshly perking coffee teasing his nostrils. He blinked rapidly, much like a newborn baby thrust into the world for the first time. His head was still caught somewhere in the middle of that shadowy world where anything could happen and the real one where nothing good ever happened. His heart was racing and his ears were ringing almost as if he were in the middle of a shoot-out, and his body was covered in sweat that had cooled along the skin to leave it  clammy and _moist_.

With a shaky hand, he brought his palm to his face to rub away a bead of sweat. Instead of wiping off a bodily fluid, though, he ended up wiping on a totally different one. “What the fuck?!” he swore, flinging the covers back to see the damage.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Danny swore loudly. His sheets and his entire middle body were covered in copious amounts of semen. “A wet fucking dream. God damn it!”

As Danny carefully extricated himself from the sticky mess of his bedclothes, he idly gave thanks that he was blessedly home alone for once. It was the first night in over two months that he hadn’t gone to bed without either Eric, his nephew, or his daughter Grace playing music, watching TV, or surfing the internet for all hours of the night. It was even worse when they were both there at the same time. His 22 year old nephew and his 13 year old daughter bickered and fought like brother and sister. All day and all night, the two of them fussed and complained and insulted each other until Danny thought very seriously about taking a long walk off a short pier. He had gone from quiet bachelorhood to the Brady Bunch overnight. He could only imagine what it would be like once Charlie was well enough to be thrown into the mix.

He shuddered at both that thought and the feel of his sweaty, sticky body as he headed directly to the shower. He didn’t even stop to take a piss, though his bladder protested loudly, but Danny ignored it in favor of the steamy, cleansing power of his shower. He slid under the pulsing jets of his specially-ordered shower head and sighed with a different type of orgasm as the boiling needles of water beat his muscles into submission. No matter how poor he had been over the course of his adult life, Danny had always splurged on his shower head. He swore it did more for him than any physical therapist and counselor put together.

As he ran the bar of Irish Springs across his wide, muscled torso, he allowed himself to recall in vivid technicolor the details of the dream that had him tied up in knots. He could feel the blush creeping up chest and into his face as he recalled the way Dream Steve had completely dominated him. To his horror, he felt his cock plumping with blood as he remembered the way his dream partner had demanded he come while saying Steve’s name. Danny turned to bang his head firmly against the tile in order to shake loose the dream from his imagination. He would just wrap it up tight and file it away with all the others and do his best to never think about it again.

This wasn’t the first time he’d had a dream like that, but the last one had been over seven months ago. When he had first met Steve and joined Five-0, he’d had the crazy sex dreams with disturbing regularity. He had been attracted to his partner almost from the moment he met him. That didn’t mean he had liked the man all that much, though. It had taken months to get to the point where he had considered Steve his friend. That hadn’t stopped Danny from lusting for him, and the evidence usually manifested both in his constant bitching and, unfortunately, in his dreams. After he and Steve had grown closer, though, and women had come into and out of their lives, the dreams would wane and his attraction would die down to just a quiet, persistent buzz under his skin. However, any time either of them faced mortal danger or personal crisis, the dreams would flare up again. The last time these dreams had plagued him had been when he and Steve had barely escaped with their lives after dropping a nuclear weapon into the Pacific Ocean via helicopter. Between that and the sudden reappearance of Catherine, Danny had woken up every other night for two weeks covered in his own come. Even worse was having to face the man the next day and trying to act normal as if he hadn’t just had a dream where Steve had fucked him over the hood of his Camaro.  

Danny finished up his shower and stepped out into the foggy bathroom in order to take care of the rest of his physical needs like taking a piss and brushing his teeth. As he waltzed into his bedroom while running the towel over his dripping body, he reluctantly admitted that if nothing else good came out of having a wet dream, at least he was up and showered at a decent hour for a change. Usually, on Saturdays with no Grace and no case, Danny would sleep in until around noon before wasting several more hours drinking coffee and watching ESPN in his basketball shorts. Maybe he could even try to connect with Amber for some quality time. They hadn’t had much of that in a while. Their relationship had suffered with the revelation that Charlie was his son and his subsequent illness, and it had never truly recovered. While they hadn’t officially called it quits, they had definitely pulled way back into a more casual arrangement.

With a heavy sigh, Danny stripped his sheets and blanket off the bed and wadded them into the hamper. He would wash them later, he decided, as he pulled out a fresh sheet set and redressed the bed. He was impatient to get to the pot of coffee calling his name from the kitchen. The programmable coffee maker had been pricey, but he had never yet regretted its purchase. When he was finished making the bed, he wandered over to his dresser to pick out some lounging clothes, but his hand paused before grasping the knob. Why should he get dressed at all? There was no one there to see him. Eric was crashing at Tiffany’s dorm room for the weekend, and Grace was out of town at a cheerleading competition. Not only that, but all his windows were covered in slatted blinds and curtains, because he was not a crazy native that didn’t understand the concept of protecting one’s privacy through the judicious use of window dressings.

With a smug, satisfied grin, Danny strolled out of his bedroom to head to the kitchen while enjoying the sensation of the air conditioned breeze colliding with his still steaming skin from the shower. Idly, he stretched his arms over his head as he entered the kitchen while his jaw popped with his yawn.

“Jesus, Danny!” a familiar, masculine voice exclaimed. “Put some pants on before you put someone’s eye out with that thing.”


	3. Chapter 3

Danny’s heart jumped up into his throat and a decidedly unmanly yelp escaped past it. “Steve! What the actual fuck are you doing here?” Danny yelled as he valiantly tried to cover his junk with both hands.

His partner’s eyebrows were climbing up his forehead and his expressive hazel eyes were round as saucers. “You told me yesterday that you would go with me down to HPD to check on the progress of Nehele’s father’s murder case, remember?”

Danny stood there, much like he did in dreams where he was naked at high school, and fumed. “Yeah, you idiot, but I was thinking that you meant in the afternoon, not 8 am in the fucking morning!”

As if his eyes had a mind of their own, Steve’s gaze tracked up and down Danny’s nude body. His lips twitched and he barely covered a snort as he replied, “Danny, I’ve been up since 5 am. It’s practically afternoon for me already.”

The detective shifted from foot to foot as he backed toward the kitchen door. He grasped onto the simmering anger that was never far from the surface and growled, “That’s it. I’m revoking your key holder status. I am apparently a bigger dumbass than my nephew for trusting a ninja early bird with free access to my home.”

A devilish twinkle sparked in the taller man’s eye. He reached a hand in the pocket of his pants, pulled out his key ring, and said, “Fine. If you don’t want me to have a key anymore, then you can take it back.” And he tossed his keys at Danny.

Reflexively, Danny raised his hands to catch the bundle of metal, leaving his meat and two veg hanging in the breeze. Of course, since Danny had to still be dreaming, he fumbled the keys and dropped them. Cue the naked cop bending over at the waist to flash a full moon at his cackling partner. After what felt like an eternity floundering around while giving the worst peep show ever, Danny finally snatched the keys and lobbed them back at the laughing hyena in cargo pants. Steve snatched them out of the air at the same time Danny flipped him the bird.

“I fucking hate you so much right now,” Danny seethed. It was bad enough that he had just made a fool of out of himself. Add on top that the pulsing awareness still coursing through his veins after that last dream, and Danny was about ready to have an epic meltdown. He would have pivoted on the spot and walked out, but he didn’t have enough hands. That was just fine by him. He could walk backwards.

Steve’s face sobered slowly, but he held his hand out to delay Danny’s departure. “Danny, Danny, wait! Look, I’m sorry, okay? I wasn’t trying to embarrass you. I was just having some fun and I didn’t think it through. Believe me, you’ve got nothing to be embarrassed about, okay?”

Danny couldn’t believe the man’s gall. He actually thought that Danny was embarrassed and not royally pissed off.  “You think I’m embarrassed about my body? Fuck you, Steven. You don’t know shit about what I’m thinking. That would require you to actually _listen_ to me.”

Steve’s eyebrows lowered and his arms crossed over his chest defensively. “I’m not apologizing again. I get that I pissed you off, but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to let you draw me into a fight.”

Nostrils flared and face red, Danny slowly and deliberately raised his hands in the air. He locked eyes with his partner and _dared_ him to look down. “I know I don’t have anything to be embarrassed about, babe. I’ve never had any complaints. I’m pissed because you surprised me when I was vulnerable and then you took the opportunity to poke a stick at me. That makes you an asshole. You get it now?”

Steve’s arms and eyes dropped at the same time. The muscle in his jaw clenched and he swallowed before he replied softly, “I get it, Danno. I fucked up. I just… I just couldn’t resist.”

Danny shook his head in disgust. “Well, you got you wanted, so look your fill, babe,” Danny tossed out, showcasing his crotch like Vanna White. He was doing his best to embarrass Steve as much as the man had embarrassed him.

Except…except Steve didn’t get mad or turn red in the face. Instead, the SEAL lifted his eyes and boldly raked them over every inch Danny had on display. He didn’t hurry, either. He perused, window shopped, compared, and categorized every part of Danny’s body his eyes encountered.

Danny held his breath, afraid to move so much as a muscle as Steve drank him in. He could already feel his cock stirring under his partner’s careful scrutiny, and he refused to allow this final indignity to be the cherry on top of this clusterfuck sundae of a morning.

Spinning on his heel and exiting the kitchen, Danny called over his shoulder, “The first one’s free. The next one will cost you, and I don’t trust you to have your wallet.” And he walked down the hallway with his arms swinging loosely at his sides and clenching his ass muscles to give the man the best view possible.


	4. Chapter 4

The only sound in the interior of the Camaro was the local radio station playing classic rock. Danny didn’t know what to say anyway. He had acted like a complete and utter fool in front of his best friend. What could he possibly say that wouldn’t make him look like an even bigger idiot?

Steve cleared his throat. “Uh, thanks again for coming with me to HPD. I’m smart enough to know when I need you there to keep me in line.”

Danny’s ear perked up at this olive branch. He had gotten really good at reading Steve over the past six years, and this was his classic conciliatory way of declaring a truce. Now it was up to Danny to decide if he was going to let this go, or hold a grudge for a while. He was good at both, but he was already exhausted after the crazy introduction to his morning, so he decided it would be easier to just forget about it.

“Took you long enough,” Danny replied lightly. “It’s been, what? Six years?” As if he didn’t know down to the day. “I get that this case is personal for you, babe, but I still think it would be best if you took a big step back from this one. Nehele is safe and happy in his foster home, and that’s all thanks to you. You’ve done your part to safeguard him, so let the system take care of his father.”

Steve darted a glance over at his passenger before looking back at the road. “I can’t do that, Danny. I promised Nehele that I would protect him, and that includes making sure his father never gets out of prison again. I have to make sure that the detectives and forensics do their job right in order to keep the kid safe. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t have done the same.”

Danny smirked. “We’re not talking about me, Steven. We’re talking about you. I’m just saying that you have a tendency to run roughshod over the uniforms at HPD and bark orders at them like you’re their police captain. In fact, I’m surprised Duke hasn’t banned you from the station after all these years.”

Steve gave Danny his patented Aneurism Face as he replied, “I do not run roughshod over the HPD. We have to work together all the time, and I respect each and every one of those uniforms. I just want to keep an eye on the case for Nehele. It took a lot of courage for him to report that murder. No matter how bad his father was, he was still the boy’s dad. That couldn’t have been easy for him.”

Danny turned in his seat and studied his partner. “You still feel guilty for not offering to foster him yourself, don’t you?”

Steve shifted uncomfortably in his seat and avoided Danny’s gaze. “It wouldn’t have been fair him. Between our case load and having to go away for Reserves training several times a year, I knew it wouldn’t be in his best interest. He needed a stable home with people who would be there day in and day out to offer him the guidance and support he needs.”

“Why does it sound like your trying to convince yourself instead of me?” Danny queried. “Steve, we’ve been over this. You made the right call. In fact, you didn’t abandon him to his fate like most people would have done. Instead, you handpicked his foster home, bought him a cell phone and new clothes, got him a job at Kamekona’s, keep up with how he’s doing in school, and check up on him several times a week to see if he needs anything. The boy may not live with you, babe, but you’ve still made him your responsibility. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Nehele is going to turn into a fine young man because of your influence.”

 Steve’s face finally relaxed into a grin. “He is a good kid, isn’t he? I’m not putting any pressure on him, but I’ve been talking to him about joining the Navy after high school. I think he would really benefit from the structure and brotherhood, don’t you?”

Danny snorted. “Just what we need. Another G.I. Joe, Jr. running around the islands in cargo pants and full artillery.”

They fell into their standard banter as they pulled up to the station and continued to bicker good-naturedly as they strolled through the cubicles and returned greetings from the cops that knew them best. They paused at the front desk and inquired about the location of the detective in charge of the case, and continued down the hallway to find Detective Palila. Danny remembered the native man from when he was a detective himself with the Honolulu Police Department. They hadn’t gotten along very well. The man had been either intimidated by Danny’s presence, or just very prejudiced against the new haole on the force.

As they rounded the corner into the room that hosted the desks and workspaces of the homicide division, they could hear a loud conversation in progress. A man’s voice was saying, “Yeah, McGarrett has been a real pain in the ass on this one. I’m sick and tired of those Five-0 assholes muscling their way into all our cases. They should leave the police work to the real cops.”

Another male voice added, “I hear you, man. And what’s up with Williams and McGarrett anyways? They seem a little _too_ close, if you ask me.”

The first voice snorted. “You mean they probably spend their time fucking each other in the ass. It’s disgusting the way they hang all over each other. You know, I bet Williams is the receiver, if you catch my drift. Have you seen the way he walks? He’s probably bowlegged from taking it from McGarrett all the time.”

As the men laughed uproariously at their conjecture, Danny glanced at Steve to see how his partner was taking all this. Personally, Danny could give a fuck what other people thought of him. He knew that Palila was just suffering from sour grapes because Danny had been the one chosen to join Five-0, and not him. Still, he didn’t want Steve to be embarrassed or upset about the talk surrounding their partnership.

Danny’s stomach clenched at the rage that swept over Steve’s face. His partner’s nostrils were flared, his lips set in a grim line, and his fists were clenched until his knuckles had turned white. Quietly, Danny tried to forestall him by placing a restraining hand on the flexed muscle of Steve’s arm and whispering, “It’s just shop talk, Steven. It’s no big deal. Don’t do anything stupid, okay?”

Steve shook off Danny’s hold and strode boldly around the corner to confront his detractors. Danny followed quickly behind him with the vain hope of containing the impending disaster. When they were face-to-face with the three detectives hanging around Palila’s desk, all traces of their merriment faded to be replaced with nervous glances and twitchy shifting of their feet.

Steve was sporting his poker face as he made direct eye contact with each man while Danny stood by to watch. When the tension was thick enough to choke on, Palila opened his mouth. “Howzit, McGarrett? Dropping by to check on the Huikala case?” He tried his best to act like he hadn’t just been talking shit about the two men, and was failing miserably.

Steve folded his arms over the muscled expanse of his chest and replied, “That was the idea, but it seems you’ve got other things on your mind.”

The three HPD cops exchanged glances, apprehension making them stiffen. Palila held his hands up to ward off Steve’s temper. “Hey, listen, McGarrett. I don’t know what you overheard, but it was just talk. You know how it is, right, Williams?” he addressed Danny, seeking his former coworker’s support. When Danny just raised an eyebrow in reply, the detective turned back Steve. “I didn’t mean anything by it. No hard feelings, right?” And he stuck his hand out to Steve as a peace offering.

With slow, deliberate movements, Steve uncrossed his arms and slid his big palm into the officer’s and squeezed. Just as the wash of relief was sweeping over Palila’s face, Steve executed a slick move that ended up with the detective’s chest pinned across his desk and his arm held behind his back with all of Steve’s considerable weight behind it. The two other detectives shouted out in alarm and made to move forward in their coworker’s defense, but Danny cautioned them with a steely tone as he said, “I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.”

Reluctantly, the HPD cops backed away several feet to keep an eye on the crazy haole SEAL that had their friend pinned like a bug. Steve was oblivious to it all as he leaned over the detective’s back and spoke to his prey. “You’ve got questions, detective, and I get it. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with speculating about the sex lives of your peers, right? All you had to do was ask, man, and I would have told you all about it. You know why? Because you got it all wrong, Palila, and you’re spreading around misinformation about my partner here, and I take that very seriously. You see, it’s not Detective Williams that takes it up the ass in this relationship. In fact, I got a good look at the man’s dick this morning, and let me tell you, he’s hung like a fucking horse.”

“Get off me, you lolo haole! I don’t care what you and your butt buddy get up to on your own time,” the red-faced detective hissed.

Steve ratcheted the man’s arm higher on his back until a cry of pain ripped from his throat. “That’s not what it sounded like earlier. I’m just trying to set the record straight. No pun intended, of course. Now that I have accomplished that goal, I believe you owe Detective Williams an apology for your assumptions.”

“Fuck you, McGarrett!” Palila sneered out of the corner of his smashed face. “You can’t make me do shit!”

Danny watched as Steve visibly restrained himself from breaking the man’s arm. The Jersey cop then glanced around at their stunned audience. Everyone in the room was frozen solid as they watched the Five-0 Commander dominate and humiliate one of their own, but no one moved to interfere. Danny had to admit that even though he thought his partner was taking things too far, he still couldn’t resist the smug grin that bloomed on his face.

Steve’s voice was deceptively calm as he replied, “It’s called ‘immunity and means’ for a reason, detective. I don’t think you want to get on my bad side, and you’re already perilously close. Now, apologize to my partner before you make me really angry.”

The native cop cried out in pain as the pressure increased on his arm. “Okay! Okay! I’m fucking sorry, Williams!”

Danny tipped his head to the side as he pretended to consider the sincerity of the man’s words. Finally, he tapped his chest and replied, “That got me right here. Thank you, Palila. Your graceful and heartfelt apology is noted, but acceptance is still pending.”

A new arrival strolled up to the strange tableau. Sgt. Duke Lukela took in the scene with his calm and careful demeanor firmly in place. Addressing Steve, he asked lightly, “Do we have a problem here, McGarrett?”

Steve didn’t let go of the cursing and huffing man still pinned and at his mercy. “None at all, Duke. I was just explaining to Detective Palila here that it’s not polite to spread unfounded rumors about his peers. Isn’t that right, detective?”

Another tweak of the man’s arm had him grunting with pain. With teeth gritted, Palila replied, “Yep. We’re all good, Sarge.”

Duke nodded his head slowly and replied, “Sounds like you’ve got it under control then. When you’re done with your conversation, come find me in my office and we’ll go over the case.” With a tip of head at Danny, Duke strolled away.


	5. Chapter 5

Three hours later, Steve and Danny were finally back in the Camaro and headed across town to grab some lunch after checking in on the native teen boy to relay the information that Duke had to report on the case. Danny had kept a close eye on his partner during the debrief with Duke, but Steve had acted as if nothing untoward had occurred as he grilled the Sargent about evidence, the identity of the victim, and how they could tie Nehele’s father to the crime. Even when they had talked to Nehele at his foster home, Steve was calm, cool, and in total control of himself. Danny had even pretended not to notice when Steve had slipped some folded cash into the boy’s hand when he had pulled him in for a brief hug.

Now that they were alone, though, Danny could see the signs of the simmering anger bubbling under the surface of his partner’s stone-faced appearance. The steering wheel was creaking under his tight grip, the veins along his neck were standing out, and his hazel eyes had turned dark and stormy. Danny wasn’t sure exactly what had the man so angry, though. Was it the fact that people assumed the two of them were fucking, or was it the thought that someone had questioned the SEAL’s masculinity by inferring he was gay? Danny just didn’t know, but thankfully, he was never one to shy away from touchy subjects with his close-mouthed friend. He had never been good at letting sleeping dogs lie.

“So… You want to talk about what happened back there at the station?” Danny prompted the man as Steve pulled into a drive-thru and got in line.

Steve’s jaw clenched and his eyes were riveted to the menu as if he hadn’t eaten at the joint hundreds of times. In fact, Danny already knew what his partner would order. Steve got the same thing every single time; he always ordered a double burger, no cheese, grilled pineapple with jalapeños and onions, and a side of sweet potato fries. Danny didn’t bother pretending to read the menu like his partner. Steve knew that Danny always got the bacon cheeseburger, fully dressed, and an order of onion rings.

“What about it?” Steve replied tersely. “Duke told us everything we needed to know about the case. End of story.”

Danny ran a hand down his face and prayed for patience. “That’s not what I was talking about and you know it. I was referring to the caveman exhibition you put on for the homicide division.”

Steve allowed the car to roll up to the speaker and ignored Danny by ordering their usual without having to ask. Even as the shorter man rolled his eyes, he pulled his wallet out to hand Steve a twenty. Normally, he would have bitched and complained about buying lunch, but he had just watched his partner hand over all his cash on hand to the young man with no family left to call his own.

Just as Danny was gearing up to try again, Steve finally answered. “I thought I handled that pretty well considering the circumstances. Why? You feel the need to harp and complain a little more? Go ahead, Danny. I’m used to it by now.”

Danny blew steam out of his nose and replied, “Oh, excuse me for being just a little bit concerned about the fact that you pinned an HPD homicide detective in a submission hold and humiliated him in front of the entire department. You don’t think there will be repercussions from that stunt? Don’t fool yourself, babe.”

Steve gunned the engine and the Camaro jumped up to the pick-up window. He didn’t reply as he handed the money to the cashier and gratefully accepted their lunch and drinks. They were back on the road heading toward Steve’s house when the man responded. “Nothing’s going to come of it, Danny. You saw Duke. He likely knew exactly what Palila had been saying. He as good as gave me permission to keep going. You’re the one who’s fooling himself if you believe that’s the first time they were saying that shit.”

Danny shrugged as he fished an onion ring out of the bag and crammed it in his mouth. He was starving after having skipped breakfast in order to get out of his house all the sooner. After chewing and swallowing the greasy treat, he replied, “That’s just the thing, babe. I know it’s not the first time. I’m not sure why this is such a surprise for you. Are you really that blind and deaf to all the chatter and speculation about our relationship? Hell, even our own teammates make jokes about us being married all the time, and complete strangers assume that we are a couple every time you introduce me as your partner. I just don’t understand why you got so pissed off this time.”

Steve pulled into his driveway and turned off the ignition. From long practice and repetition, the two men disembarked from the car and took their food in the house. Steve collapsed on the sofa and Danny in the chair as they opened their containers and began to eat.

Picking back up on the conversation seamlessly, Steve said, “It’s just…that asshole was talking shit about you, Danny. I don’t care what people say about me, but I won’t let anyone get away with insulting you. Palila needed to learn that lesson the hard way, and if every witness spreads the tale, then they may think twice about doing it again.”

Danny sat back in his chair and stared at his partner with fascination. Steve seemed almost embarrassed by the admission, and that made Danny’s heart beat a little faster. “That’s very, uh, chivalrous of you, babe, but still unnecessary. If I’d had emotional breakdown every time someone questioned my sexuality, I would have been a basket case long before I met you.”

Steve’s eyes snapped up to pin Danny to the spot. “What do you mean? People back in Jersey think you’re gay? I’ve known you for six years and that thought never crossed my mind.”

Danny felt like kicking himself for opening his stupid mouth. No matter how much he and Steve had been through, Danny had still kept parts of himself back. Not only because he thought his partner would look at him differently, but because it was not something he wished to discuss with his painfully heterosexual friend.

Danny picked his words carefully as he thought about how to respond. “Well, there was gossip and rumors, but it never bothered me. The only one brave enough to say something to my face ended up with a cracked jawbone, so everyone kept their opinions to themselves after that.”

Steve pushed his food container back and braced his arms across his knees as he regarded the blonde man carefully. “I have a feeling you’re not telling me the whole story, Danny. What are you leaving out?”

Danny squirmed in his chair and regretfully closed the lid on his half-eaten meal. He had a feeling he wouldn’t be hungry after this conversation was over. Taking a deep breath for courage, he met Steve’s inquiring eyes and explained. “Well, I’ve been known to flirt with men and women equally, as you well know. There have also been several…encounters with men over the course of my life, so it was only natural that word about it got spread around Newark. I guess I just consider myself to be an equal opportunity kind of guy.”

Steve’s mouth hung open as he stared at the Jersey man as if just seeing him clearly for the first time. Shaking his head roughly, he glared at Danny and said, “You’re fucking bi-sexual and you never thought to mention that to me? It’s been _six fucking years_ , Danny! We’ve been through hell together, helped each other get through terrible things, and had each other’s backs through hails of bullets. I thought we were close, man. I thought we were best friends. That’s not the kind of shit you just forget to mention!”

Danny hauled himself to his feet and left the room while holding Steve off with a “wait” gesture. He could already tell that this interaction was not going to be pretty. May as well add some alcohol to the mix. After grabbing two Longboards and prying the caps off with an opener, he strolled back into the living room to find Steve still sitting exactly where he left him. Danny could see equal parts anger, shock, disbelief, and hurt on his partner’s face, and it made Danny feel like the lowest piece of shit.

Silently, Steve accepted the beer from his friend and took several deep swallows of the brew. With a heavy sigh, Danny sat back down and answered him. “It’s not a big deal, Steven. I don’t even think of it in such black and white terms as being gay or straight or bi-sexual. I am just either sexually attracted to someone or I’m not. Most of the time it’s women, but every now and then, it’s a man. I didn’t mention it, because it hasn’t come up. But if I had met a man here on the islands that caught my eye, I wouldn’t have hidden it from you, either.”

If Steve’s eyes were daggers, Danny would have been bleeding out on the floor. “You’re telling me that you haven’t been with another man since before you married Rachel?”

Danny winced and fought the blush that was creeping up his neck. “I never said that. Those months after Rachel left were pretty fuzzy, and I did everything I could to drown my sorrows with both liquor and sex.” When this only made Steve angrier, he hastened to add, “Look, I’m sorry I never thought to tell you, but I just didn’t think it mattered. When was I supposed to have told you? When we were dodging bullets or out drinking beers with the team? I’m not sure how this changes anything, babe. I’m still the same person I’ve always been.”

“Does your family know about this? What about Rachel?” Steve demanded, firing off questions like Danny was a criminal and he was the interrogator.

Danny could feel himself getting defensive, but he forced his shoulders down and answered with measured calm. “My sisters and my mother do, yes. My dad? I’m not sure. I’ve never talked to him about it. That’s not something I figured he would be comfortable with. If any of the rest of them know, they’ve never said anything, and that’s just fine by me. Eric knows, but he also knows I’ll kick his ass out on the street if he says one word about it. As for Rachel? She knows, and has known since our third date. There almost wasn’t a fourth.”

Steve finally sat back against the couch and drank his beer. After several moments of uncomfortable silence, Steve asked quietly, “Have you ever thought about me like that?”

Like a slideshow that had been edited by his brain, images of every wet dream he’d had about the man over the years flashed through Danny’s brain. He should have anticipated the question, but it still caught him off guard. Deciding on a half-truth, Danny admitted, “When we first met. In fact, I was pretty sure our little hike to check out the petroglyphs was a date, but it didn’t take me long to realize that we were better as friends and work partners, so I never said anything about it.”

Steve just nodded, not meeting Danny’s eyes. He had no idea what was going on in that intense, terrifying place beneath his partner’s skull, and that scared the blonde detective. He didn’t know what to say to make things better between them. Honestly, he had never told Steve about his past for specifically this reason. He was petrified that it would drive a wedge between them and erode the trust and friendship that had built up over the course of their partnership. Steve was too important to Danny for him to lose him over something as inconsequential as who Danny dipped his dick into.

Danny’s stomach sank when Steve heaved himself to his feet. He was pretty sure this was when Steve would tell him to leave and things would turn weird and awkward between them. He had hoped that his friend wouldn’t react like this, but Danny should have known better. Nothing good ever lasted in his life, and besides Grace and now Charlie, Steve was the best thing to ever happen to him.

Steve edged around the coffee table and Danny prepared to get up to make his way to the door. Steve shot him an annoyed look and said, “Sit down. I’ll get the next round.”

Danny collapsed in the chair with visible relief. When Steve returned to the room, he was carrying the rest of the case of beer and the bottle opener. Without another word, he popped the caps on two more Longboards and handed one to Danny.

“Do you mind if I ask some questions?” Steve broke the heavy silence.

Danny closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Steve was being remarkably cool about all this, so the least he could do was answer the man’s questions. He held up a finger and downed the rest of his first beer, retrieved the new one, and chugged it down until it was halfway gone. He panted to catch his breath, and like a man facing an executioner, said, “Okay, but I reserve the right to not answer if it gets too personal.”

Steve shot him a peeved look and snapped, “You’ll answer whatever I ask you, Danny. You owe me.” Quieter and under his breath, the SEAL mumbled, “Six fucking years.”

Danny held his hands up in surrender and sighed, “Fine. You asked for it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you if you hear something you don’t like.”

Steve nodded his understanding and began. “How many men have you been with?”

“At one time or just in general?” Danny popped off. When Steve’s lips didn’t even so much as twitch, Danny rolled his eyes and continued, “Fine! Let’s see…I’ll have to estimate here. I didn’t exactly put notches on my bedposts, you know. I’m guessing about a dozen, give or take a few.”

Steve took this in and mulled it over. “Did you ever have a lasting relationship with another man, or was it just all about the sex?”

Danny had to think about that for a moment. “It depends on what you call a relationship. I met this guy in college, Aaron Nicoletti. We started out as friends, but it morphed into a sexual thing. We were exclusive with each other for about eight months, but it wasn’t a big love connection. I guess if you’re asking if I was ever in love with him, I would have to say no.”

Steve leaned forward again, warming to the topic. “Do you think you could ever fall in love with another man? Or is it limited to just sexual attraction?”

Danny bit his tongue before he could say the first thing that popped in his head like _I could fall in love with you easily_. “I guess it just depends on the guy. It’s definitely possible, but he would have to be pretty special, because I don’t fall in love easily. Into lust? Constantly. In love? Only once.”

“Fair enough,” Steve countered. He shifted nervously in his seat before he blurted, “What do you do with men? You know, sexually?”

Danny couldn’t contain the hysteria choking him and it came out in a painful laugh. “Wow, you’re really going for it, aren’t you?” He ran his hands over his face and steeled himself for the excruciating process of stripping himself completely bare, once again, for Steve. “Sex isn’t that different with a man than it is with a woman, for the most part. Just different equipment. I’ve done all the normal stuff like kissing, making out, oral sex, and touching.”

When he hesitated to continue, Steve pressed forward. “What about…other stuff?”

“Jesus, Steven,” Danny huffed. “We’re adults, not teenagers. You want to know if I’ve had anal sex with another man? The answer to that is unequivocally yes. I have been on the top, and I have been on the bottom. Both positions are equally pleasurable, but in a totally different way. Anything else you want to know?”

Steve’s eyebrows were drawn down in serious thought. Finally, he shook his head in the negative and said, “No, I think that about covers it, but I’ll let you know if I think of anything else.” Danny sighed in audible relief while Steve picked up the remote. “I think there’s a football game on. Want to stay and watch?”

Danny couldn’t stop the smile stretching across his face as he agreed. Maybe things were going to be okay after all. Sure, this little revelation would be a bump in the road, but it seemed like Steve was taking it all in stride after his initial outburst. All Danny had to do was keep acting like his normal, smart-mouthed, sarcastic self, and things would go back to normal.

For the rest of the afternoon, they watched several games and even grilled out steaks as they continued to drink, joke, and laugh about nothing in particular. Both men were careful not to broach the earlier subject, and they had a great time together finishing off Steve’s beer. It was only natural for the man to offer Danny his couch for the night, since both of them were too buzzed to drive. They had done this dozens of times before, and Danny wasted no time in shedding his shirt and stripping down to his boxers. As Danny wiggled down under his favorite throw blanket and folded his pillow, he smiled. Everything was going to be alright.


	6. Chapter 6

_“I can’t believe you never told me, Danny!” Steve exploded. “It’s been six fucking years and you never once thought to let me know that you liked dick?”_

_Danny darted his gaze around to see the riveted faces of his students at the college. “For God’s sake, Steven! I’m in the middle of a class here. This is not the time or the place for this discussion!” Danny hissed, his face flooding with color._

_“Who’s Danny?” the pretty brunette girl in the front row interjected._

_“Oh, that’s him,” the cocky young guy with the backward hat pointed toward the lectern. “That’s my Uncle D. He’s not really a professor, you know. He’s working undercover for Five-0 and that’s his partner, Steve.”_

_The brunette pouted. “I should have known he was gay. I tried to hit that several times, and he turned me down left and right. You would think the rolled cuffs on his skinny jeans would have given it away, but a girl could still hope, right?”_

_“Don’t worry about it, sugar lips,” Danny’s nephew Eric replied. “It doesn’t run in the family, if you know what I mean.”_

_“Shut up, you schmuck,” Danny snapped. Turning back to face his partner, he added, “You, too. We’ll discuss this later.”_

_Steve’s boots echoed as they clomped down the steps until he came to a stop in front the shorter man. “We’ll talk about it now, Daniel,” Steve growled, seizing Danny by the arm and pulling him from the room._

_When the door shut behind them, they were once again standing in Steve’s bedroom. Feeling a cool breeze across his skin, Danny looked down to find himself completely naked. With an undignified yelp, he covered his crotch with both hands while desperately looking around for his clothes. How the fuck had this happened?_

_Steve stalked toward Danny and roughly pulled the detective’s hands away. “Don’t you dare hide from me. Never hide from me again, do you understand? I thought we were friends and partners. I thought we told each other everything. What else are you keeping from me, Danny?”_

_Danny stumbled back until his knees hit the bed, causing him to sit abruptly. “Nothing, Steven! Jesus! This has nothing to do with you. Back off and give me some space.”_

_Instead, the SEAL closed the distance between them. “Did you enjoy it, Danny? Sucking their cocks and letting them fuck you in the ass? Did you let them come in your mouth?”_

_Danny reached up to push his partner away and was met by bare skin. Danny gasped as he took in Steve’s nude form with his hard, swollen cock only inches from his face. “What the fuck, Steven? What are you doing?”_

_Steve pushed Danny back onto the bed and climbed on top of him until their bodies were aligned. “I’m just giving you what you wanted. You’re the one that said you were attracted to me, so you can’t tell me you don’t want this,” he breathed in Danny’s ear as he ground his hard cock along Danny’s own._

_Danny sucked in a shocked breath and let it back out with a whoosh. “I never said I didn’t want you, babe. I just didn’t think you wanted me the same way.”_

_Steve reached between their bodies and wrapped a big hand around both their cocks and began to stroke. He lathed open-mouthed kisses along the shorter man’s jaw until he hovered over Danny’s lips. Their breaths were loud in the silence, punctuated only by the push and pull of the ocean waves outside the house. “That’s what you get for thinking at all. Just shut up and kiss me.”_

_Their mouths met with passion and desire. Danny couldn’t stop his hands from roaming over the contours of his partner’s corded back and down to grip his firm ass in his hands as their bodies ground against each other. Sweat beaded across his skin, and rugged moans were torn from his throat as Steve’s hand moved up and down their shafts with increasing friction. He was already so close, and he could tell that Steve was right there with him._

_“Steve…fuck! God, you feel so good,” Danny moaned as he thrust against the hard body above him._

_His partner sped up his stroking even more and grunted, “I’m going to fuck you so hard that you’ll never think about another man again. Say it, Danny. Tell me I’m the only one for you.”_

_Danny cried out as his body coiled on the verge of orgasm. “You’re the only one, Steven. The only one!”_

_Just before he tipped over into orgasm, Steve gripped his shoulder and said, “Danny! Danny! Wake up!”_

_“Not yet! I’m so fucking close. Just a little more, babe. Come on,” he begged, his hips desperately seeking the warm grip of his partner’s hand._

_Hesitantly, Steve trailed his hand back down to grip Danny’s cock in his fist and began the slow, torturous slip/slide up and down the length of Danny’s cock. The shorter man moaned and closed his eyes, his hips snapping up to plow through the man’s fist harder and faster._

_“Fuck! That’s it, babe. Squeeze harder. Oh, God, you’re going to make me come so hard, Steven. Just like that…” Danny sucked in a breath and his body grew taut. With a shout of Steve’s name, Danny spilled across his abdomen as Steve continued to stroke him through his climax._

_A goofy smile crossed Danny’s lips as he gazed up at his partner who was watching him carefully. “That was amazing, babe.”_

_Steve’s lips tipped up in a small smile before he replied, “I’m glad you thought so, but I think I better go get something to clean you up. Go back to sleep, Danny. We’ll talk about this in the morning.”_

_Danny gratefully closed his eyes and drifted off. He barely even stirred as he felt Steve run a warm washcloth over the bumps of his abs and down to carefully clean around his spent cock. With a sigh of contentment, Danny mumbled, “I love you, Steve.”_

_Danny felt the man’s fingertips graze across his cheekbone before he whispered, “I love you, too, Danny.”_


	7. Chapter 7

When Danny woke up the next morning, he stretched and groaned. He felt remarkably well-rested considering he had just spent the night on Steve’s couch and not in his own bed. With the creak and pop of bones and cartilage, Danny heaved himself to his feet and stumbled to the bathroom to relieve his aching bladder, brush his teeth, and tame his out-of-control bedhead. On the way, his nose picked up the aroma of coffee. He may tease Steve for using a French press, but damn, the man made a mean cup of joe.

After he was finished with his ablutions and changed into a spare set of clothes he kept in the trunk, he made his way to the kitchen feeling quite good about things in general. He and Steve were back on the right track with their friendship after the disastrous and embarrassing events of the day before, and nothing had to change. He was proud of Steve for being so understanding and cool about Danny’s revelation. He knew that it couldn’t have been easy for the former SEAL to come to terms with the idea that Danny liked both men and women, but in the end, he had proven to be supportive and accepting.

When he arrived in the kitchen, he found a fresh pot of coffee and a box of malasadas waiting for him, but no Steve. Danny helped himself to a cup of the strong coffee and shoved an entire fried pastry in his mouth as he glanced out the sliding glass door to see if he could spot his errant friend. Sure enough, he watched as Steve walked out of the surf. If his mouth hadn’t been full of dough and sugar, he would have let out a low wolf whistle.

Steve was a literal, walking wet dream as the early morning sunlight glinted and refracted off the drops of sea water trailing down the hills and valleys of his body. Though the years of constant danger and heartache had added lines around the SEAL’s hazel eyes, Steve was still mouth-wateringly handsome. His body was still fit and cut with muscle, but he was thicker and more solid than when the two men had first met six years prior. He was every inch a masculine, intimidating presence, and Danny had to pull his eyes away before he gave himself a hard-on just watching the man toweling himself off.

Danny returned to the kitchen as Steve made his way back to the house. He was on his third doughnut when the sliding glass door opened and Steve called out, “I’m going to take a quick shower. Be right back.”

Danny busied himself by folding the blanket and returning it and his pillow to the hall closet where they kept them stashed for just such an occasion before he gathered up the empty beer bottles scattered around the room and tossed them in the trash. He knew from experience that Steve was picky about keeping his place neat and tidy, and Danny felt like he owed the man for being so cool about everything the day before.

By the time Steve was trotting down the steps in comfortable basketball shorts and a tank, Danny had both the living room and the kitchen restored to its former pristine condition. He had even wiped up the scattered sugar from the malasadas that had dusted the countertop where he ate.

As Steve made his way over to the half-empty coffee press, Danny said, “Thanks for the malasadas and the coffee, babe. If you had been this good of a host back when I was living here, I would have never left.”

Steve didn’t laugh or join in on Danny’s attempt at banter. He just studied Danny’s face closely as if searching for something. “Did you, uh, sleep well last night?”

Danny stretched his arms out wide and groaned through the burn. “Surprisingly, yes. It was probably the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had on that ratty old couch. How about you? I didn’t wake you up with my snoring again, did I?”

Steve’s eyes dropped and he rubbed the flat of his hand against his whiskered jaw. “No, no, you didn’t wake me with snoring. Do you not remember… anything from last night?”

Danny’s eyebrows lowered in consternation. “What do you mean? The last thing I remember was you heading up the stairs as you bitched at me to keep the TV down.” Steve wouldn’t meet his gaze and Danny’s stomach twisted with nerves. “Did something happen last night, Steven?”

His partner’s eyes skipped Danny as they headed straight up to the ceiling. “Well, I woke up in the middle of the night to take a piss, and I figured I may as well come down to turn off the TV. But, when I reached the living room, you were…moaning and tossing around on the couch. I thought you might be having a nightmare, so I came over to check on you.”

All the color leached out of Danny’s face as the sick realization hit him of what Steve was going to say next. He searched his brain, desperate to catch hold of the wispy trails of his scattered dream so that he would remember what he had done. All he could remember, though, was teaching that economics class. Eric had been there, and so had Steve. But…wait. There was something else about that dream, flirting and taunting Danny just out of sight. He couldn’t for the life of him remember, but somehow, he knew it was bad.

Danny swallowed thickly and made himself ask, “What, uh, what happened next?”

Steve’s nostrils flared and he stared directly over Danny’s shoulder as if he were reporting on a failed mission. “Before I could wake you, I heard you say, ‘ _Steve, fuck, God, you feel so good.’_ ”

Danny groaned and buried his face in his hands. He had never hated himself more than he did in this moment. That’s what he got for having the balls to think that everything was going to be okay. It was like his whole life was just one big echo of Charlie Brown trusting Lucy not to pull the football away and then falling straight down on his ass every time.

“Steve, God, I am so sorry,” Danny mumbled through his hands. He couldn’t even bare his face to the man. He already knew the worst was still yet to come. In one way or another, life was going to pull his football away.

“I’m not done yet, Danny,” Steve replied softly.

Danny erupted into a sobbing, hysterical laugh. “Of course you’re not done.”

The next time Steve spoke, his voice was closer. “You were moaning and panting, your hand wrapped around your cock over the blanket, and you said, ‘ _You’re the only one, Steven. The only one.’_ ”

This time, Danny couldn’t hold back the tears as his body shook with savage sobs. The pressure inside him was so great that he wished he could just fucking explode already to have it over with. “Please, Steve,” Danny’s breath caught as he forced the words past his lips. “Just…do me a favor, and…take your service weapon out, and…shoot me in the fucking…head.”

He broke down after that, but before he could beat a hasty retreat, strong arms wound around him and pulled him into a solid brick wall. Steve held him tight, subduing his shaking body, and said softly, “Not yet, Danny. I’m not done.” The shorter man’s curse landed against Steve’s chest and warmed it with his tears. “I tried to do the right thing, you know. I tried to wake you up, but you begged me ‘ _Not yet!’_ and asked me to make you come.” Danny tried to pull away, but Steve’s arms bound him even tighter. He continued on as if nothing had happened. “You just looked so…fucking hot laying there with your chest heaving and your cheeks flushed.  You were hard as a rock and your hips were rolling up toward me, and I found that I couldn’t resist the temptation. I folded the blanket down and I wrapped my hand around you and began to stroke you off.”

Danny froze in Steve’s embrace as he scrambled to understand what the man had just said to him. “Um, you what?”

Steve’s hands stopped moving up and down Danny’s back for a split second before they started back up again. “I said, I stroked you off. You were so close to coming that I couldn’t resist pushing you over the edge. And that mouth of yours, Danno…damn. The whole time, you were egging me on, telling me to squeeze you tighter, and directing me in how to please you. And then, you came. Your head was thrown back, veins in your neck bulging, and your cock like granite in my hand as you came in arcs all across your stomach. It was the hottest fucking thing I have ever seen in my life. And I was in the Navy.”

Danny didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t sure which reaction Steve was looking for. “Uh…sorry?”

Steve chuckled and the vibration of it flowed through Danny in healing waves of warmth. “I’m not. Seriously, though. I’m not done yet.” Danny sighed and allowed Steve to continue soothing him by running his big palms up and down his back. “As I was saying, you came and it was beautiful. You got this goofy smile on your face and then you told me it was amazing. I told you to go back to sleep and that we would talk in the morning. Then, I got a warm washcloth and cleaned you up so you wouldn’t be uncomfortable, but before I could escape back to my room, do you remember what happened next?”

Danny shook his head in the negative. “I’m pretty sure it can’t get much worse than this.”

Steve’s chest rumbled with amusement under Danny’s ear. “You’re right. It got even better. Just as I was about to slink back to my bedroom, you said, ‘ _I love you, Steve_.’ And I was lost. I never realized that such a thing could happen in heartbeat like that, but it did for me. I’ve always loved you, Danny, but until that moment, I had never been _in_ love with you.”

Danny pulled back and looked Steve in the face for the first time since it all began. “What are you saying, Steve?”

Steve’s face was serious, yet hopeful. “I’m saying that when you told me you loved me, I replied by saying I loved you, too, and I meant it in all its meanings for the first time.”

“Oh,” Danny replied eloquently. He still didn’t know what he was expected to say to that. “Thanks?”

Steve laughed, causing the lines around his eyes to deepen. “No, thank _you_. I’ve never been so turned on in my life, but I knew you weren’t coherent enough to do anything about it. That’s why I told you we would talk about it in the morning. I wanted to see if you might want to help me out with that.”


	8. Chapter 8

Danny knew what to say to that. “Okay.”

They both just stood there are stared at each other. Neither one of them made a move as they watched the other. Finally, Steve licked his lips and said, “You’re going to have to take the lead on this one, Danny. You’re the most experienced one on this mission.”

Danny jumped and held up his hands, conceding the point. “Right. I can do that. So, can I kiss you? Is that cool?”

Steve thought about it carefully for two seconds and then nodded his head confidently. Danny’s blood began to sing through his veins a chorus of _Halleluiah!_ as he considered his approach. When Steve raised his eyebrows in question at the shorter man’s hesitation, Danny threw caution to the wind and said, “Fuck it.” And he dove straight in.

Steve’s lips were firm, dry, and flavored lightly with the salt from his morning swim. When Danny delved deeper, he tasted coffee, toothpaste, and sugar and his mouth flooded with saliva as he chased the flavor of it around Steve’s tongue. He was immediately addicted to the taste and feel of the man who was returning his kiss with increasing fervor. Danny didn’t know how far Steve was willing to go, so he took his time exploring, licking, sucking, and nipping at the taller man’s mouth until he had no choice but to break away for a breath.

Both of them were panting and Danny’s cock was hard as steel behind the loose material of his own basketball shorts. When Steve didn’t say anything, Danny ventured, “Uh, how was that for you?”

“I’m not sure,” Steve replied airily. “I think we may have try it again.”

Danny grinned and bracketed his partner’s face in his hands and pulled him back down for another go. They spent long minutes twining their tongues, licking along their teeth, and plunging into each other’s mouths. A shiver of longing winged down Danny’s spine when Steve hummed and whimpered into his mouth as Danny sucked Steve’s tongue into his mouth to suck on it gently. It had never even crossed his mind that this could ever be a reality, and he was never so glad in his life for his stupid, juvenile wet dreams.

When they broke away again, Steve’s voice shook as he asked, “Okay, what’s next?”

Danny pulled back to meet Steve’s gaze in order to gauge where things stood. Steve’s pupils were blown wide and his lips were puffy and wet from Danny’s kiss. “That’s completely up to you, babe. You’re calling the shots now. Personally, I want to do everything with you, so it’s all about what you think you’ll be comfortable with.”

Steve nodded seriously as his hands continued to move up and down Danny’s back. “Yeah, okay. Let’s do that.”

Danny’s eyebrows lowered in confusion. “Do what?”

“Everything. Anything. What are we waiting for?” Steve demanded as he pulled off his tank to bare his chest.

Danny sucked in a breath in awe. No matter how many times he’d seen Steve without a shirt, it still brought him to knees every time. When the shorter man was done putting his eyes back in his head, he grabbed Steve’s hand and said, “Not here, babe. Let’s go somewhere more comfortable.”

He led Steve straight up the stairs and into Steve’s bedroom, the scene of so many of his dreams. When they came to a halt beside the bed, Danny pulled his own shirt off and tossed it to the side. He stood still while Steve perused him closely. When he was starting to feel nervous, Danny teased, “Nothing you haven’t already seen before, babe.”

Steve hummed in agreement before adding, “True, but now I get to touch.” And touch him, Steve did.

Steve ran his hands over the shorter man’s shoulders and trailed down to gently rake his blunt fingernails through the thick spread of dark blonde hair that peppered Danny’s chest. His fingertips ghosted over Danny’s small nipples, and the blonde sucked in a breath at his touch. The SEAL continued his journey downward, tracing each groove of Danny’s abdominal muscles before taking a detour to do the same with the deep trenches that framed his hips. He stopped before he could go any further and whispered, “You’re hard.”

Danny chuffed a desperate laugh and replied, “Yeah, that tends to happen around you sometimes.”

“Can I touch you…there?” Steve asked hesitantly, his hand hovering over the tent in Danny’s shorts.

Danny couldn’t pull his pants and boxers down fast enough. Once again, he found himself completely in the buff before his partner, but this time, he was more than happy to be there. “Help yourself, babe. I’m all yours.”

Steve didn’t wait for any further permission before he reached out to run his finger up Danny’s length. He swiped his thumb through the sticky bead of fluid that formed at the tip and brought it back to his lips to taste. Danny’s cock bobbed with excitement and he couldn’t hold back the groan at Steve’s unanticipated taste test. The taller man’s hand came back, and this time, gripped Danny’s length in his hand firmly before moving up and down with slow, even strokes.

Danny released the breath he had been holding with a gusty sigh. “You’re, uh, really good at that, Steven.”

Steve’s eyes reluctantly peeled away from where they were riveted on Danny’s cock. “It’s not that different from stroking my own. What do we do next?”

Danny gently pried his partner’s hand off his cock before he embarrassed himself by coming too soon. “Well, we could get on the bed and let nature take its course, I guess.” He really didn’t want to spook the man into running for the hills, so he tried to keep his voice even and undemanding.

Steve nodded and dropped his shorts to the ground and stepped out of them as he crawled onto the bed. With a prayer toward the heavens for guidance, Danny joined him and closed the distance between their bodies. They fell into another kiss, this one hotter, deeper, more passionate than the ones before, and the detective’s hips instinctively thrust against his partner as his hands greedily mapped out the terrain of Steve’s body. He had to taste it, too, so he pulled away from the paradise of the man’s lips and began to lick and suck at the skin that covered Steve’s neck and shoulders. He stopped to pay homage to the man’s sexy-as-fuck tattoos along his biceps before working his way toward his chest. He playfully sucked and nipped at each flat, beaded nipple and grinned against the man’s pec as Steve gasped and thrust his hard cock into the air.

By the time Danny made it down to Steve’s waist, the man was breathing heavily and hissing through his teeth. Danny gazed up the long line of his partner’s body and asked, “You okay with me going further, babe?”

Steve’s head nodded rapidly. “Please don’t stop,” he gasped, his voice breathy and excited.

Danny winked, feeling his confidence increase, and bent his head to lick a stripe up the length of Steve’s long, thick shaft. His lips twitched as Steve cursed and his hips strained toward Danny’s mouth. Wrapping his hand around the base of Steve’s cock, Danny finally lowered his lips over the weeping crown and sank down by slow, aching degrees until he could go no further. He held his position as Steve cried out and Danny closed his eyes as he felt Steve’s fingers dig into his hair. Taking that as his cue to continue, Danny began to bob and suck, lick and tease, at the full length of Steve’s cock while his free hand gently cupped and rolled the heavy sack that hung below.

Danny drank it all in, every strangled curse, every sigh and grunt, and each needy groan of his name past his partner’s lips as he drove Steve closer and closer to the brink. He knew the man was getting close. His shaft was swelling bigger and harder, and his balls were drawing up close to his body, but Danny didn’t stop. He worked Steve relentlessly and ignored the tug of his partner’s hand in his hair.

“Danny! Oh, fuck. Danny, I’m going to come,” Steve warned him desperately. Danny refused to stop and only released his grip long enough to squeeze his partner’s thigh in an unspoken communication to just let go.

And he did. With Danny’s name ejecting from his lips, Steve came with wracking tremors of his entire body. Danny tenaciously held on and squeezed and milked his cock of every drop as he struggled to swallow before he drowned under the force of his partner’s climax. When the last weak shot of his seed hit the back of Danny’s throat, he slowed and gentled his movements so he wouldn’t overwhelm Steve’s sensitized flesh. Finally, when his partner’s body went limp underneath him and the man’s hand slipped from his hair to fall to the bed, Danny released him from his mouth.

Danny licked his lips and ran a hand down over his mouth to take care of any leftover moisture that had accumulated there. With a satisfied sigh, he collapsed on the bed next to Steve and awaited the verdict.

He didn’t have to wait long. With a gusty sigh, Steve said, “That was…that was…holy shit. That was the best blow job I’ve ever gotten in my life.”

A pleased chuckle floated up from Danny’s throat and he couldn’t resist leaning over to place a quick kiss to the man’s rounded shoulder. “I was more than happy to be of assistance.”

Steve’s face turned toward him and his eyebrows lowered. “But, you didn’t get to come yet.”

Danny was well aware of that fact, but he was not about to let Steve return the favor out of some misguided notion of fairness or loyalty. He’d made love to Steve’s body because Danny loved him. It would kill a large portion of his heart if Steve did the same out of duty. He could accept only this one time of being allowed to touch the man and could live happily for the rest of his life on the memory, as long as they remained friends and partners. That couldn’t happen if Steve brought him to orgasm with any reluctance. And he didn’t quite trust this football that life was holding ready for him. This time, the fall may very well be his last.

Danny forced an easy smile to his face and assured him, “Don’t worry about it, babe. I was just returning the favor from last night. That makes us even, right?”

Steve’s concern melted off his face to leave his expression empty and hard. Danny shivered involuntarily as his partner took aim with sniper focus via his eyes and squeezed the trigger. “Don’t you do that to me, Danny. Don’t you dare try to hide on me now. I have opened my eyes and saw every last part of you in the past 24 hours, and I am still here. Not only am I here, but I’m right where I want to be. So don’t leave me hanging, man. You’ve got to follow through and meet me halfway.”

Danny sucked in a breath and blinked rapidly to discourage his tear ducts. He swallowed thickly, looked up, and licked his lips. After another deep breath, he let it out and said, “You are such an idiot, babe. You’re not supposed to just go and change the rules like that. This isn’t supposed to happen. You know that, right? This kind of shit just doesn’t happen to me. I don’t get the guy. I don’t get the happy ever after. That’s not who I am.”

Steve shook his head in disbelief and reached out to slug him in the shoulder. “Quit being a whiny bitch and get onboard!” When Danny grabbed his shoulder and glared at him, Steve continued, “Look. I know you’re just trying to protect yourself, but this is me, Danny. If I haven’t proven myself to you over the last six years, then I’m not sure what else to do. Even if I climbed on top of you and rode you like a bull, I still don’t think even that would convince you. I already made my position plain, Danny. It’s up to you to decide what to do with that.”

Danny sucked his top lip and raked his teeth across it. “You’re right, okay? Are you happy now? You finally made me say it after six fucking years. You’re right. I am an idiot and an asshole. I am fully aware of this fact. Yet, for some crazy reason, you still want me. Who am I to question fate? So, here I am, telling you, that I am, in fact, onboard.”

Steve grinned, hope flaring in his gorgeous eyes. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Danny repeated, his eyes squinting with his smile. “Come here and I’ll prove it to you again.”

Steve readily complied and met Danny halfway until their lips met in a heated, dirty kiss. They spent the rest of that Sunday in bed, only leaving long enough to eat, piss, and shower together. The rest of the time they spent exploring, experimenting, and discovering every little thing that brought the other to climax.

That evening, before Danny had to leave for home, they stood beneath the spray of one last shower. Their bodies were pressed tightly together and they just soaked up the contentment and happiness along with the heat of the pounding water. It didn’t take long for reality to settle back in, though, and Danny grew pensive and quiet.

“What’s on your mind?” Steve asked. Of course he would ask. It was just another scary ninja weapon in the man’s impressive arsenal.

Danny cleared his throat and said, “So, what do we do now?”

Steve took a deep breath and let it back out slowly before answering, “Well, I guess we just take it one day at a time. I don’t really know what to tell you. I’ve never been in love before.”

Danny felt his heart leap as if trying to jump through his ribcage. “Don’t think I know what I’m doing, either. This is only my second time, and I have visible proof that I wasn’t real good at it.”

Steve chuckled and pulled Danny in closer to his body. “Eh, we’ll be alright. We’ve got six fucking years of watching each other’s backs. I think we’ll make it just fine.”

Danny laughed and lightly socked Steve in the stomach. Mostly just to see his muscles flex, but whatever. “Don’t think you’re going to get me to say it again. You’re just going to have to wait for another six fucking years to hear me say that you’re right. I’ll just silently agree and find something else to bitch about.”

Steve turned off the knobs on the shower and reached out to grab their towels. As Steve was running his towel through his soaking brunette hair, Danny stopped to openly admire the scene. “Damn, this is even better than what I’ve seen in my wet dreams.”

Steve paused and looked at Danny closely. “Wait. What do you mean by ‘dreams’? Is that ‘dreams’ as in plural wet dreams? About me?”

Danny sighed heavily and cursed, “Well, shit.”

 

End

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Well, there's that. A little bit different, a lot more emotional, with a lot of hot gay smut. If that's your thing, then I hoped you enjoyed it! Thanks for everything! You guys are the best!***


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